Assembly type filing system comprising portfolios and filing cabinets therefor

ABSTRACT

This invention is directed to brief case type portfolios formed in one or more pieces of plastic material and having a hinge, closure members and handle members with interlocking portions, and to interlocking storage cabinets.

O United States Patent 1191 1111 3,891,070

Montanari June 24, 1975 [54] ASSEMBLY TYPE FILING SYSTEM 2,700,464 1;1955 Ostnas 206/74 X FILING 3,010,552 11 1961 Davidson 190/41 R AND3,066,790 12/ 1962 Armbruster 190/41 R X 3,414,343 12/1968 Thomas312/244 X Inventor; Sergio Monanafi, Via Leopoldo 3,441,071 4/1969Schunnan 220/31 5 Nobili 11, Rome, Italy 3,499,525 3/1970 Kanter 220/31S X 3,710,901 1/1973 Guard 190/41 R [22] Filed: June 19, 1973 21 A l. N371 508 I 1 pp 0 Primary Examiner-Herbert F. Ross Related pp DataAttorney, Agent, or F irm-DeLio and Montgomery [62] Division of Ser. No.195,276, Nov. 3, 1971.

[52] US. Cl..... 190/41 R; ISO/1.6; 190/51;

312/244; 402/3; 402/76 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. A450 3/02 Field Of Search90/ This invention is directed to brief case type portfolios 150/ 1.6;220/31 S; 206/74, DIG. 7; 312/ 107, formed in one or more pieces ofplastic material and 109, 244 having a hinge, closure members and handlemembers with interlocking portions, and to interlocking storage [56]References Cited cabinets.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,101,459 12/1937 Satz ISO/1.6 6 Claims, 17Drawing Figures PATENTEI] JUN 2 4 I975 SHEET PATENTEI] JUN 2 4 I975SHEET 1 ASSEMBLY TYPE FILING SYSTEM COMPRISING PORTFOLIOS AND FILINGCABINETS THEREFOR This is a division, of application Ser. No. 195,276,filed Nov. 3, I971.

The present invention relates to a new assembly type filing system foroffices, consisting of briefcase type portfolios made of plasticmaterial and standard cabinets for them, also of plastic material, forreceiving in an orderly manner a certain number of such portfolios.

At present, in office files where binders are used, one uses theconventional cardboard binders comprising a cover and a case for it,which are placed on shelves or cabinets adapted to receive such binders,with a highly inefficient result because of waste of space, irregularityof appearance, high cost, etc. The binders themselves, moreover, areinefficient, in the first place because of the material used, that is,cardboard, possibly reinforced with cloth or metallic elements, whichdoes not withstand moisture and hence does not offer protection frommoisture to the documents contained in such binders, and then alsobecause of the form, cover and case, which is ugly, wasteful, and offersno protection from dust.

The advantages of a filing system according to the invention are,therefore, generally speaking, twofold, namely, with respect to thebriefcase portfolio according to the invention, it offers the followingadvantages over the present binders;

a. It requires fewer operations, as it is made of one piece, completewith hinge, closure members and handle members;

b. It offers excellent resistance and protection, with respect tomoisture, for the documents contained therein;

0. It offers the possibility of sealing the portfolio for completeprotection of the documents contained in it, including protection fromdust;

d. It is of much greater elegance and offers the possibility of givingthe folders modern colors, including bright colors, which do not changein time.

With regard to the cabinets which receive said portfolios, they are notpieces of furniture different from one another, such as shelves,cupboards, etc., adapted to contain or support the conventionalcardboard binders, but they are elements, likewise of plastic material,designed and manufactured expressly for receiving the portfoliosaccording to the invention, with the following advantages: I

a. Each of these cabinets is a basic element or module of an assemblablesystem, that is, it can be used either by itself or as a modular elementfor the formation of units of considerable dimensions, which can befitted together in a variety of ways;

b. They are light, strong, sturdy, and support the portfolios by meansof special guides whereby the portfolios can be indiscriminatelyaccommodated therein vertically or horizontally like boxes, in perfectorder;

c. Being of plastic material, these cabinets can be variously coloredaccording to the color of the portfolios or in contrast with them, itbeing possible to use the colors to indicate various types of documentsfiled, for example, accounting, correspondence, etc.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a new filingsystem for offices consisting of briefcase type portfolios, of a newkind, formed in one piece of plastic material and comprising also thehinge, the closure members and the handle members, and consisting ofassembly type modular elements designed and constructed to receive suchportfolios.

Another object of this invention is to provide a portfolio of the kindindicated which can be manufactured quickly and economically in onepiece of plastic material of low cost.

Still another object of the invention is to supply a cabinet for suchportfolios, constituting the modular element of an assemblable system,also obtained quickly and economically from an inexpensive plasticmaterial.

The features of the invention which are believed to be novel areparticularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concludingportion of the specficiation. However, the invention both as to itsorganization and operation, together with further objects and advantagesthereof, may best be appreciated by reference to the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a portfolio according to the present invention, closed;

FIG. 2 shows the same portfolio open;

FIG. 3 is a detail illustrating one of the closure members of theportfolio of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a detail which illustrates the process of 0btaining the hingeof the portfolio according to the present invention in the molding phaseof the process for its formation;

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4, but showing in detail how a reinforcementstrip of said hinge is applied when using certain plastic materials ofhigh rigidity;

FIG. 6 shows a sheet of a plastic material prepared for a process offormation by molding, as a variant, where two portfolios are formedsimultaneously, on said sheet, in expedient positions, the strips whichconstitute the flexible hinge of each finished portfolio having beenpreviously attached by means of a suitable adhesive;

FIG. 7 is a section of a modified form of construction of the portfolioaccording to the invention, along a vertical plane parallel to the sidewalls carrying the closure members, where the handle cavities are deeperand the bottom walls of the two halves are provided with reinforcementelements;

FIG. 8 is a view from above of the portfolio of FIG. 7, open, showingsome of its accessories;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary front view of the portfolio of FIG. 7, completewith identification label;

FIG. 10 is a rear view of the identification label of the portfolio ofFIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a section of the label along line 11ll of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a partially exploded view of a single modular elementaccording to the invention, illustrating the structure of the two shellscomposing it;

FIG. 13 is a projection, with parts removed to show the structurethereof, of a double modular element according to the invention,equipped with closing door panels;

FIG. 14 shows in detail the method of joining several modular elements;

FIG. 15 is an overall view of a possible unit obtained by using singleand double modular elements according to the invention together,comprising also suitable base supports;

FIG. 16 is a first variant form of a cabinet; and

FIG. 17 is a second variant form thereof.

The portfolio according to the present invention, which henceforth willbe called binder for short, will now be described in detail withreference to FIGS. 1 through 11.

This binder is formed in one piece from a suitable plastic material aswill be better illustrated in the following, and it consists of twohalves having substantially the same form, marked with the referencenumbers 11 and 12, respectively, joined by a strip 13 of the samematerial, thinned during the snaping in the die, which, being flexible,serves as a hinge for the two halves.

The half 11 is formed by a bottom 14, a front wall 15, a rear wall 16,and two side walls 17 which, near the union with the front wall 15, havetwo recessed parts, 18, and the half 12 is formed by a bottom 19, afront wall 20, a rear wall 21, and two side walls 22 which, near theunion with the front wall 20, have two recessed parts 23 matching therecessed parts 18 of the side walls 17.

As can easily be seen in FIG. 2, each wall of half 12, except wall 21,is extended by an edge, marked with the same number as the correspondingwall, having a ridge, slightly inclined inwardly, with whose lower part,when the binder is closed, the edges of walls and 17 of half 11 of thebinder are in contact, while the two rear walls 16 and 21, respectively,are joined by the flexible hinge 13, which constitutes a common integralpart of the walls, but having a lesser thickness, along which the twohalves roll to open and close the binder 10.

In order to facilitate the handling of the binder according to theinvention, the handle members and the closure members thereof are formedin one piece during molding.

The handle members, formed by two deep cavities 24 for introducing thefinger therein, are constituted in the central, slightly projectingportion 25 of the two front walls 15 and 20, respectively, of the twohalves of the binder, and the closure members are formed in one piecewith the recessed portions 18 and 23 of their side walls 17 and 22,respectively.

As is better illustrated in FIG. 3, each closure membet is composed of amale part 26 formed in one piece with the portions 18 of the side walls17 and a female part 27 formed in one piece with the portions 23 of theside walls 22 and with the corresponding upper edge 23. Part 26 of theclosure member is formed jutting out on wall 18, to which it is joinedby two lateral reinforcement ribs 28, and it has a lock tooth 29intended to snap into an opening 30 in the female part 27 to lock thebinder 10 in the closed position.

Also part 27 is joined to the respective wall 23 by two lateralreinforcement ribs 31 which, however, form in this case a cavity 32 withclosed bottom.

,In the locked position, illustrated in FIG. 1, the two lock teeth 29elastically snap into the openings 30. Obviously, to open the binder itis necessary simply to exert an inward and upward pressure on the top ofthe teeth 29 to make them come out of the openings 30.

In FIG. 4 is illustrated the manner in which during molding theformation of the hinge strip 13 occurs, which constitutes a commonintegral part of the walls 16 and 21, where references A and B indicatethe partitions present in the die C employed.

But because not all plastic materials are flexible enough-even atminimal thickness, to insure a long life of the hinge it is desirablewhen using stiffer plastics such as polystyrene, to reinforce the strip13 with a strip of a very flexible material, such as a cloth tape, andthis variant is illustrated in FIG. 5.

In that figure, the strip 13 common to the rear walls 16 and 21 isreinforced over its entire length by a cloth tape 33 firmly attachedthereto and embedded" in the plastic material during the molding of thebinder.

To achieve this, according to the invention, there is placed on thepartition A of die C, before the molding operation, a cloth tape 33impregnated with an adhesive suitable for this plastic material, and onethen proceeds with the molding as usual. The local sliding of thematerial, pressed toward the sides of the two partitions A and B causesa thickening 34 in the walls 16 and 21, and in this thickening the strip33 is embedded.

Note the different form of the partitions A' and B as compared with thatof the partitions A and B, in view of the different function theyfulfill.

In FIG. 6 is illustrated a variant process where a sheet F of a suitableplastic material, for example, polystyrene, is used, from which areobtained two binders by formation in coupled dies. While previously thecloth strip 33 impregnated with a suitable adhesive was placed on thepartition A of die C, according to the present variant two sections ofcloth tape 33 are previously glued in suitable positions on sheet F sothat, following the molding, they are superposed on the strip 13 whichunites the two halves of the portfolio formed, constituting the flexiblepart of the hinge.

This procedure obviously reduces the operating times for the manufactureof the portfolios according to the invention.

The portfolio according to the invention will then be completed, toconserve the documents, by a support D, as for example, a sheet of asuitable rigid material, to which are joined two rings E of conventionaltype on which the documents, which may be perforated along one edge inknown manner, are inserted.

In FIG. 2 the sheet D and the bridges E are shown in broken lines, butthey will be discussed in greater detail later on with reference to FIG.7.

Referring now to FIG. 7, it will be observed that in it is illustrated aslight modification of the binder according to the invention, where onthe bottom 14 of half 11 and on the bottom 19 of half 12 there are gluedparts 57 of a sheet of cardboard or other suitable stiffening materialfolded at 58 and at 59 so as to have portions 60 detached from saidbottom walls and standing out from them, and portions 61 forming anangle with the latter. The parts 57 are glued on the bottom walls 14 and19 during the molding process.

The portions 60 and 61 have joined to them in suitable manner pads 62 ofa resilient expanded foam material, which tend to keep the portions 61of the two cardboard sheets in contact with one another.

One of the portfolio halves may also contain a rigid I 65 under theslightly recessed parts of the portfolio half containing it.

Evidently this type of arrangement is not fixed, and the cardboard sheet63 can easily be taken out of said half.

It will be noted also that the handle cavities, indicated by 24, aredeeper and their bottom walls 24" touch in the closed position of theportfolio.

In FIGS. and I1 is illustrated the removable label which can be appliedto the portfolios according to the invention, and which consists of anordinary labelholder 67 to which is expediently fastened ajointingelement 68 for attachment to the portfolio straddling the edge (FIG. 2)of the front wall 20, on which have been expediently provided tworectangular notches 69, into which fit two matching projections 70formed on the attachment part 68.

For the orderly arrangment of the binders illustrated and describedabove with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11, the present invention providesthe use of cabinets specially conceived and designed for them.

These cabinets have also been designed to constitute a base element ormodule of an assemblable system of very versatile use. For this purposethey have two standard dimensions, one intended to contain five bindersl0, and the other, of double dimensions, intended to contain 10 suchbinders.

In FIG. 12 is illustrated, in semi-exploded view, a single modularelement intended to receive five binders l0 and indicated generally bythe reference number 35, in a first embodiment thereof.

As is clearly visible, it is composed of an. inner shell 36 and an outershell 37. The two shells are molded in one piece of a suitable rigidplastic, as for example polystyrene, and the inner shell 36 iscompletely inserted in the outer shell 37 after the correspondingcontact surfaces have been covered with a suitable adhesive.

As is clearly shown in the figure, the side walls of the two shellspresent ribs so arranged that when the two shells are inserted one inthe other, the ribs join forming a nested structure.

This structure is shown more clearly in FIG. 13, where it is indicatedwith the reference number 39, the figure representing a double modularelement 38 which differs from the single modular element 35, illustratedin FIG. 12, only in the dimensions, while the shape and structure aresubstantially identical with those of the latter.

Referring again to FIG. 12, the bottom walls 40 and 41 of the two shells36 and 37, respectively, are reinforced by projecting and recessed partsin vertical and horizontal direction, indicated generally, for bothwalls, with the reference numbers 42 and 43, which, when the walls 40and 41 are in contact, form a nested latticed" structure which insuresextreme resistance to the vertical compressive stresses which may haveto be sustained by the modular elements.

The inner shell 36 is further completed by a front cornice 44, intendedto cover the free edge of the outer shell 37 and to trim the opening ofthe cabinet 35, and by sixteen guides 45 (four for each side wall)arranged perpendicularly to said cornice and spaced by a distance equalto the thickness of each binder 10. In this way, obviously, five binderscan be received and supported in each cabinet 35, which binders can bearranged either horizontally or vertically.

The cabinet 38 or double modular element illustrated in FIG. 13 is, ashas been said before, very similar to the single modular element 35, andthe structure is practically identical with that of the latter,especially with regard to the side and bottom walls, except for somedetails.

In the first place, because of the greater width, there is insertedbetween the inner shell 46 and the outer shell 47, in a suitable openingformed in matching positions on the two shells, a substantiallyrectangular element 48 of suitable sectional metal, of squarecrosssection. In the second place, the inner shell is divided into twoseparate substantially cubic cavities, formed by means of anintermediate dividing wall 49, each of the two cavities beingsubstantially identical with the inner cavity of a single modularelement 35, and being equipped, on each wall, with four guides 45 forreceiving five binders 10.

Moreover, near the cornice 44, on each inner face of the two longerwalls of the cabinet 38, there may be applied rail guides 50 which, ifdesired, can receive two sliding door panels 51. It should be pointedout that the presence of these panels is optional, as the modularelement 38 can be used without the panels 51.

Lastly, as a general characteristic, there are provided on each wall,except the bottom wall, either of the modular elements 35 or of themodular elements 38,

one or more through-holes 52 intended to receive fastening elementswhich serve to join together firmly several single and/or doublemodules.

Each fastening element 53 may, for example, consist of bolts such asthose illustrated in FIG. 14 used together with an annular spacer 54 ofa suitable, expediently elastic material.

The modular elements 35 and 38 according to the invention can, however,be designed also with other structures (not illustrated in the drawings)which may be adopted as a variant of the embodiment illustrated anddescribed before.

In a first variant, each cabinet or modular element, whether single ordouble, instead of being formed by two shells with ribs, will be formedby an outer shell 37 of smooth walls, an intermediate shell G of nestedstructure, for example honeycombed, and an inner shell 36 also withsmooth walls, the three shells being inserted one in the other andfirmly joined together in desirable manner.

In a second variant, said single or double modular elements will beformed by an outer shell 37" of smooth walls and an inner shell 36" alsoof smooth walls, adapted to be inserted in the outer shell so that allinner faces of the latter and the outer faces of the inner shell are notin contact, but there exists between them a continuous free intersticewhich will be filled with a suitable expanded material P, such aspolyurethane foam.

The union of several single or double modular elements constitutes avery versatile assemblable system with regard to the characteristics ofuse, dimensions, capacity and appearance, of which a non-limitativeexample is given in FIG. 15.

As will be seen, such a unit, supported by rectangular base frames 55equipeed with feet 56 adjustable by screw, known in themselves, iscomposed of several double modular elements 38 variously combined withseveral single modular elements 35 in which are received in orderlyfashion, in horizontal or vertical position, binders 10 according to theinvention.

It will be noted that as basis of the unit, also in reference to thedimensions of the frames 55, it is preferred to use modular elements 38of the double type.

It is understood that the binders and the modular elements according tothe invention can be formed by means of any of the known moldingtechniques for plastic materials.

It may thus be seen that the objects of the invention set fourth as wellas those made apparent from the preceding description are efficientlyattained. Inasmuch as other embodiments of the invention may occur toothers skilled in the art, the appended claims are intended to cover allmodifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well asother embodiments thereof which do not depart from the spirit and scopeof the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A one-piece plastic, briefcase type portfolio comprising:

a first half having a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall and two sidewalls which, near the union with the front wall, have two recessedparts; and

a second half having a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall and two sidewalls which, near the union with the front wall, have two recessed partsmatching the recessed parts of the side walls of the first half, theedge of said side and front walls being extended and slightly inclinedinwardly, on which are superposable the edges of the matching walls ofthe first half;

said two halves having mating hand and closure portions defining handleand closure members, and being joined by a strip which is unitary withthe rear walls thereof but of less thickness than the walls of saidhalves wherein, at the bottom of each half thereof, there is affixed apart of a sheet of stiffening material the front part of which isdetached from the bottom of said half, said detached part having atransverse fold such as to divide said detached part into a firstportion forming a predetermined angle with the glued part and a secondend portion forming with said first portion a more obtuse angle, saidangles being such that when the portfolio is closed, the two endportions are close together so as to press resiliently between them thefree edges of sheets which may be contained in the portfolio; saiddetached part of said sheets having affixed thereto a pad of expanded,spongy material, said pad acting between the detached part and the frontpart of the bottom of the respective portfolio 8 half so as to increasethe resilient holding of the free edges of the sheets between thedetached parts of the sheets. 2. A portfolio according to claim 1,wherein the strip joining the two halves is reinforced by a strip offlexible material which is firmly joined to and embedded in the rearface of said walls.

3. A portfolio according to claim 1, wherein said handle portions aredefined by cavities for introducing the fingers therein, each cavitybeing positioned behind a projecting portion of each front wall of saidtwo halves constituting the portfolio.

4. A portfolio according to claim 1, wherein a closure member ispositioned on each said side wall thereof,

each said closure member comprising a male portion formed in one piecejutting out on said recessed part of the side wall of the first half andhaving reinforcement ribs and a lock tooth turned outwardly, and afemale portion formed to jut out on said recessed part of the side walland on the corresponding extended edge of said second half, said femaleportion having reinforcement ribs and an opening of a form matching thatof said lock tooth, whereby said lock tooth snaps resiliently into saidopening to lock the portfolio in a closed position.

5. A portfolio according to claim 1 including a rigid cardboard sheetloosely contained in one of said halves, said cardboard sheet havingcentrally fixed on one of the edges thereof, a tab carrying spacedbridges on which are insertable perforated sheets to be kept in thebinder, there being affixed to the face of said cardboard sheet oppositesaid bridges two pads of an expanded, spongy material for resilientylmounting the said rigid cardboard sheet within said half, the lateraledges of the said rigid cardboard sheet being engaged under recessesformed in the side walls of said half.

6. A portfolio according to claim 1 wherein on one side of the upperedge of the front wall there are provided two horizontally spacedrectangular notches, said portfolio further including a removable labelcomprising a label-holder to which is fastened the lower appendix of ajoining element of generally U-shaped crosssection, said joining elementbeing adapted for insertion on said edge of the front wall, and saidjoining element having two horizontally spaced rectangular projectionsformed inside said U-shaped part so as to be received in said matchingnotches for removably holding said label in place.

1. A one-piece plastic, briefcase type portfolio comprising: a firsthalf having a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall and two side wallswhich, near the union with the front wall, have two recessed parts; anda second half having a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall and two sidewalls which, near the union with the front wall, have two recessed partsmatching the recessed parts of the side walls of the first half, theedge of said side and front walls being extended and slightly inclinedinwardly, on which are superposable the edges of the matching walls ofthe first half; said two halves having mating hand and closure portionsdefining handle and closure members, and being joined by a strip whichis unitary with the rear walls thereof but of less thickness than thewalls of said halves wherein, at the bottom of each half thereof, thereis affixed a part of a sheet of stiffening material the front part ofwhich is detached from the bottom of said half, said detached parthaving a transverse fold such as to divide said detached part into afirst portion forming a predetermined angle with the glued part and asecond end portion forming with said first portion a more obtuse angle,said angles being such that when the portfolio is closed, the two endportions are close together so as to press resiliently between them thefree edges of sheets which may be contained in the portfolio; saiddetached part of said sheets having affixed thereto a pad of expanded,spongy material, said pad acting between the detached part and the frontpart of the bottom of the respective portfolio half so as to increasethe resilient holding of the free edges of the sheets between thedetached parts of the sheets.
 2. A portfolio according to claim 1,wherein the strip joining the two halves is reinforced by a strip offlexible material which is firmly joined to and embedded in the rearface of said walls.
 3. A portfolio according to claim 1, wherein saidhandle portions are defined by cavities for introducing the fingerstherein, each cavity being positioned Behind a projecting portion ofeach front wall of said two halves constituting the portfolio.
 4. Aportfolio according to claim 1, wherein a closure member is positionedon each said side wall thereof, each said closure member comprising amale portion formed in one piece jutting out on said recessed part ofthe side wall of the first half and having reinforcement ribs and a locktooth turned outwardly, and a female portion formed to jut out on saidrecessed part of the side wall and on the corresponding extended edge ofsaid second half, said female portion having reinforcement ribs and anopening of a form matching that of said lock tooth, whereby said locktooth snaps resiliently into said opening to lock the portfolio in aclosed position.
 5. A portfolio according to claim 1 including a rigidcardboard sheet loosely contained in one of said halves, said cardboardsheet having centrally fixed on one of the edges thereof, a tab carryingspaced bridges on which are insertable perforated sheets to be kept inthe binder, there being affixed to the face of said cardboard sheetopposite said bridges two pads of an expanded, spongy material forresilientyl mounting the said rigid cardboard sheet within said half,the lateral edges of the said rigid cardboard sheet being engaged underrecesses formed in the side walls of said half.
 6. A portfolio accordingto claim 1 wherein on one side of the upper edge of the front wall thereare provided two horizontally spaced rectangular notches, said portfoliofurther including a removable label comprising a label-holder to whichis fastened the lower appendix of a joining element of generallyU-shaped cross-section, said joining element being adapted for insertionon said edge of the front wall, and said joining element having twohorizontally spaced rectangular projections formed inside said U-shapedpart so as to be received in said matching notches for removably holdingsaid label in place.